Sharpener attachment for pencils.



I No. 888,669.

PATENTED MAY 26, 1908. J. G. ST. JOHN. I SHARPENER ATTACHMENT FORPENGILS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3,1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. ST. JOHN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNM. RIORDAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHARPENER ATTACHMENT FOR PENCILS.

and useful Improved Sharpener Attachment for Pencils, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to produce a sharpener for lead pencilsand such like, which can be readily placed on and carried by a pencil,and can be readily removed therefrom, and on removal be adapted, properly used, to cut, or trim the pencil, as may be desired, and so tosharpen it for use.

To the end stated, this invention, in substance, consists of anattachment for lead pencils, etc., which is composed of a tube ofcomparatively thin spring steel of suitable length and bore, and whichat and along one side is flattened for a portion of its circumference,and at such flattened portion is provided with a longitudinal slot orthroat, which is of less width than that of, and extends for a portiononly of said flattened or tion, and has one of its longitudinal ec gesslightly projected beyond its outer surface, and which said projectededge is sharpened along its length and so made capable of acting as acutting-blade to cut, or shave off, or in other words, to plane or trimoff the wood and lead of a pencil, etc., and thereby to sharpen it, andall otherwise substantially as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, forming part of this speciflcation, Figure 1 is a sideview of a lead penoil of somewhat large diameter and of the pencilsharpener of this invention applied to and carried by it. Fig. 2 is across section, on dotted line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view inillustration of the application of the sharpener to the pencil forsharpening it.- Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sharpener.

In the drawings, A represents a lead pencil of somewhat large diameterand B is its lead, the whole being sharpened at one end.

O is a tube of comparatively thin springy steel and of suitable bore toreceive the pencil and hold it by its spring or resilient action againstaccidentally becoming detached from the pencil while allowing it to bereadily re moved and replaced at pleasure. This steel tube may be ofgreater or lesser length but obviously and preferably its length shouldbe Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 3, 1907.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Serial No. 395,692.

considerably less than that of the full length of the pencil. The tube,also preferably, is split, as at D, along its length from end to end, soas thereby to make it capable of attachmentas described to pencils ofvarying diameter within, of course, given limits.

The tube for a portion of its circumference and along its length isflat, as shown at E, and this flattened portion has a longitudinal slotor throat F, which extends for only a part of the length of the tube,and has one G of its longitudinal edges G and H projected, as shown atJ, Figs. 2 and 3, more particularly, slightly beyond the circumferenceof the tube, and this projected edge is beveled off and made sharp so asthereby to act as a cutting-edge to out and trim, or as it were, toplane off and so to sharpen a pencil when it is presented thereto by itssaid cutting edge and flattened face, and is forced or moved there alongand under more or less pressure in the proper direction, as forillustration, see Fig. 3; the shavings or clippings passing under thecutting edge and through the throat into the tube somewhat the same asin ordinary hand wood-planes.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is,

, 1. A sharpener for lead pencils and such li e, composed of a springmetal tube of suitable bore and length, having a flattened side, and aslot extending along said flattened side,

which has one of its longitudinal edges pro' jected slightly beyond theouter surface of the tube and said projected edge sharpened to act as acutting-blade.

2. A sharpener for pencils and such like composed of a spring metal tubeof suitable bore and length, which is split along one side, from end toend, and has another side flattened, and this flattened side providedwith a slot that extends along it and has one of the longitudinal edgesprojected slightly beyond the'outer surface of the tube and saidprojected edge sharpened to act as a cuttingblade.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN 0. ST. JOHN. Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BRowN, CHARLES R. BROWN.

